Tip Talk: Weight Loss

“Some dietitians say being mindful about eating, such as keeping a food journal and eating slowly to appreciate textures and flavors, is a good strategy for weight loss. Registered dietitian nutritionist Megan Ostler recommends focusing on fiber and protein consumption, while RDN Jen Scheinman says reducing stress and getting restful sleep play roles in weight-loss success.”- Greatist (7/5) 

^^I agree with all of the above! As part of the Individual Meal Plan service, each of my clients tracks his/her daily intake via MyFitnessPal. While I don’t believe it necessary to track your daily intake for the rest of your life, I certainly attest to the many benefits it offers when acquiring healthy eating habits. Namely, familiarizing yourself with proper portion sizes, nutrient content of various food items, differences in nutrient composition/quality between brands, total intake for the day, etc. I have had so many clients rave to me about how much they learned about food in general + their own dietary habits from logging their intake. If this is something you have yet to experiment with, I highly recommend it!

Eating slowly is something I really need to work on myself…#guilty. If we eat too quickly, our body is not able to sense that we are becoming full. This leads to overconsumption…and we all know what chronic overconsumption leads to (nothing good!). Eating slowly also promotes more effective digestion- yet another reason I should totally slow down. 😊 If I notice myself speeding through a meal, I make a conscious effort to begin talking or taking a sip of water in between bites. Really anything to help pace myself. And it’s true- slowing down your pace of eating really does better enable you to savor every bite!

When planning meals, protein & fiber content are two very important areas of focus. Each contributes to your feelings of satiety (feeling full), thus preventing you from overconsuming. I preach non-stop about the importance of consuming protein around the clock, and this is certainly one reason why. Fiber not only contributes to further satiety, it also helps slow the digestion of sugar (praise!). For example, one reason I am such a fan of berries is their fiber content slows down the digestion of the natural sugars they contain, thus reducing a subsequent rise in blood sugar.

I have written on this before, but sleep is most certainly a factor in weight loss success. To find out why, check out my “Catch Your ZZZ’s Please!” blog post from 4/25/18!